Ceremony
by Leather Sky
Summary: Akihiko is annoyed when Mitsuru informs him of her upcoming wedding on extremely short notice. But he has no intention of refusing her request. This can be read as the sequel to /The Flight/.


It had already been an irritating day. He hadn't had time to eat breakfast or go through his correspondence. Once he was at the Station, things were even more hectic and it was well after lunchtime when he finally had a free moment to glance through his mail. He had just dismissed everything in the pile as "it can wait until later" when his eyes caught a particular name. It had been a long time since Mitsuru had sent him anything.

He opened it with a smile, expecting one of her short, dry updates. The last one had been especially amusing. "_As I suspected all along, he was embezzling. Took great pleasure in Executing him. New department head seems to be working out well. Must run, Dresden connection was late._" But the smile faded when he read and then reread the words printed there. This was a wedding invitation.

Jaw set in a grim line, he picked up the phone. For the next half hour any panicked subordinate who ran into his office to tell him about a personnel problem or the latest crisis down in Holding was waved away. Akihiko waited patiently until he finally got through to her (it usually took the better part of twenty minutes) and then said without preamble, "Just what the hell is this about?"

"I take it you received the invitation."

"You weren't planning on telling me _sooner_? This is in a month!"

"I regret that my personal secretary made an oversight. I've already dealt with the matter."

Akihiko pinched the bridge of his nose, hard. "…I'm sure you did. But Mitsuru…I mean, when did you decide? Why didn't you say anything? What about--"

She stemmed the tide of his questions with her usual air of authority. "I decided quite some time ago, and my mind is made up." Then her voice got a little softer. "…look, are you coming, or not?"

"I won't know anybody there…hell, I wouldn't know the right thing to wear, or do…or even what I'd _say_ to any of those people."

"All I expect you to do is show up." She sounded impatient now.

Akihiko sighed. "Fine. I'll be there."

"If you're not--"

"I know." He hung up and then swore as he dug around for the forms he needed to request time off.

--///--

A month later, he was sitting at a corner table with her in the back of a dark, inconspicuous little tea house. Her "keepers" were no doubt running around looking for her in a state of high panic, but she had wanted to see him before the wedding. His only piece of luggage, a small duffel bag, was under his seat. She had surprised him by showing up at the airport.

The tea was turning cold in their cups. They sat across from each other awkwardly, not saying much and not looking directly at each other. She seemed like she was waiting for him to break the silence, so he finally asked, "Are you keeping your name?"

"No."

"…do you really think that's such a good idea? The Kirijo Group--"

"My mind is made up."

"So you've told me."

Finally, she looked up. It was a sudden motion, and the expression on her face was strained and uncertain. "Are you angry with me?"

He thought about it for a minute, then shook his head. "No. Of course not."

She smiled hopefully. "Then you _are_ coming?"

"Why else would I fly all the way out here?"

She closed her eyes and put a hand on his. "…thank you…"

He smiled softly and then his expression became firm again as he gently withdrew his hand. "You'd better go get ready."

She nodded. "Four o'clock…don't forget."

"I'll be there."

He watched her go, absentmindedly picked up his cup, and then almost choked on his tea a moment later. It was quite cold.

--///--

The wedding was every bit as long and exacting as he had expected it would be. It was Western-style, which surprised him a little, but Mitsuru looked so beautiful in her wedding dress that he didn't really care. For the most part the people there belonged to a completely different world, and whenever Mitsuru graciously tried to introduce him to anyone they stared at him like he was some new and bizarre breed they had never seen before. He found them every bit as puzzling and unappealing as they found him, and he was glad when the ordeal was finally over. Mitsuru whispered to him that he hadn't done so bad, but he highly doubted that was the truth. She seemed happy, though…and that was the important thing. If she was happy, well…he could put up with all of this.

The time in the evening came for the bride and groom to unobtrusively fade away to go off on their honeymoon (or just off to somewhere they could both collapse and be away from everyone) and leave the guests to drink and dance the night away. He stood outside in the clear night air, feeling the winter just beginning to show itself on the wind, and looked up at the stars. He was a little startled a moment later by a touch at his elbow.

"That was fast."

"Of course, I already had everything packed."

He shook his head, and then said, "Where are we going?"

"I don't really care…away." She put her hand in the curve of his elbow and looked up at him.

"I still think you should have kept the name. The looks we got--"

"Sanada is _fine_. Now…let's go."

With no further protests from him they walked off into the night.


End file.
